Grading pad for loose-leaf binders



Augc

w. E. ELDRlDGE GRADING PAD FDR LOOSE LEAF BINDERS Filed June a, 1925 INVENTdR. millia/rm I V fai t ATTORNE 5.

Patented Aug. 10, 1926.

assess? VIILLIAM ELDRIDGE, 01 SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

GRADING ran ron LOOSE-LEAF 'Binnnns.

Application filed June 3, 1925.

This invention relates to loose leaf binders and particularly relates to grading pages therefor.

In the use of loose leaf binders in connection with record keepingit has become a common practice to fasten a number of record pages in the binder with their edges feathered, so that a portion of the edge of each sheet will be disclosed and may carry indicia upon which the various accounts may be indexed and readily located. In thus arranging the sheets in the binder, it will be evident that a large majority of the sheets will overlap in the center of the book, and that towards the top and bottom and from the opposite sides of the transverse center, the number of overlapping pages will decrease, so that a group of sheets will forma thick pack of pages gradually increasing from the top and bottom edge-s of the binder to the center. Such an arrangement makes the binder awkw rd to handle and does not permitthe sheets to be held in a compact fiat position.

It is the principal object of the present invention, therefore, to provide pages which will supplement the sheets and will cause all of the sheets in the book to be maintained substantially flat as though each sheet extended from the top edge of the book to the bottom edge thereof.

The present invention contemplates the use of a filler pad which is thin along its transverse center line and gradually increases in thickness toward the. top and bottom thereof, agreeing substantially with the gradual decrease in thickness of the overlapping sheets in the binder.

, The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective-showing a loose leaf binder of the type described with the sheets mounted therein.

Fig. 2 is a view in transverse section of a group of sheets in the binder as seen on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view in transverse section of a grade pad as seen on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4L is a view in transverse section through the grade pad as seen on the line 1 4 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 and 11 indicate the backs of a loose leaf binder. These backs are connected by a suitable hinge structure 12 carrying a plu- Scrial No. 34,534.

rality of binding rings 13. These rings are of any desired construction but usually are formed in two parts as indicated at lt and 15 in Fig. 4:, and are suitably mounted 'so that they may be swung out of overlapping relation to each other to permit leaves 16 to be mounted on certain of the rings. These leaves are provided along one edge with a series of perforations 17 through which the binding rings may be positioned.

It will be evident that due to the fact that the leaves are formed with a series of perforations, it will be possible to place the leaves in the binder at different points through the length of the binder if the pages are of less length than the length of the binder. This arrangement will permit the pages to be feathered as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, so that the lowermost edge of each will be disclosed as particularly indicated at 17 in Fig. 1. This will make it possible for indexed in dicia to be placed adjacent the lower edge of each page so that the page may be readily selected and removed from the binder in connection with the operations of modern mechanical bookkeeping.

It will be evident, however, that in arranging the pages in feathered relation to each other as previously described, the set of pages overlapping to form a composite page extending throughout the length of the binder, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, will be quite thick at a point substantially midway the length of the binder page, due to the fact that all of the binder sheets in this par-- ticular set will overlap at the center of the length of the binder sheet, and that toward the upper edge of the binder and toward the lower edge of the binder decreasing numbers of sheets will overlap until finally overlapping but a single sheet at the upper end indicated at 16, and a single sheet at the bottom edge indicated at 16*, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

It will there-fore be evident that if the binder contains several sets of pages arranged as shown in Fig. 2, the thickness of the bound pages at a point midway the length of the binder will be excessive while at the upper and'lower edges of the binder there will be but one page for each set of pages represented by the group shown in Fig. 2. This result is quite objectionable in that it does not permit the pages to lie flat in their bound positions, and moreover an examination of Fi s. 2

C thickness of the ends of th-\/ grace pad in ratio to the s ot tl.e asby the use of a 1 which are of en s of th various led 'er the lena'h of a eets so that h grade sheet 19 will represent anproi inatelv the distance which the sh i the upper and lower edges of the sheets lo and 16 laminated wedges and t. ."nec faces of which agree substantially with the inclined pla es formed by the feathered edges of the groups of ledger sheets. The wedges 21. and 22 thus made by the grade sheets 19 of graduated lengths are mountet for convenience in bindin and 23. The dimensions of with the length and brea mum sheet which may be d in length to the over-all lengthand width of a group of sheets. 7

In practice it has been feunt. that the grade pad 18 cannot be stiff and rigid, but

that the rade sheets 19 must be able to slip relative to each other and be capable of arranging themselves along the arcnate length of the binding or to otherwise shift when the g de pad is flexed at any point throughout 1 width. in ord r to accomplish this while still holding the grade sheets bound between the grade covers and 23, a flexible binding hinge 24- has been provided. This hinge may be in the shape of flexible fabric, the edges of which over-- lap edges of the cover members 22 and 23 while allowing sufficientmaterial in the sp between the cover sheets 22 and 23 to permit the grade sheets 19 to feather. as indicated in Fig. 4-. This will also permit the cover sheets 22 and 23 of the grade pad to boolr.

shiftlaterally with relation to each other as the pad is flexed, the result being that the grade pad will have the same flexibility as individual sheets bound in the book with the additional convenience of being selfecntained so that the pads maj be inserted or removed as cesired.

it of course will be understood that the various grade sh ets 19 forming the wedge portions 20 and 21 of the pad are not fastened to each other, but are merely contained between the covers 22 and 23 and are individually engaged by the binding rings 13 in the same manner as the separate ledger sheets 16. The covers 22 and 23 and the grade sheets 19 are rerforated at intervals in the same manner as the sheets so that the grade pad may be readily mounted in a it will thus be evident from comparing Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing that the groups of sheets 16 and the grade pads 18 will supplement each othe" in uniformly filling the binder and substantiallyholding the sheets flat while permitting them to be removed, and wnile closing the binder to refasten them in position.

ifhile l have shown the preferred: form of nvention as now known to me, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in its construction without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the a upended claims.

Having thus described myinventio nwhat I claim and desire to securebjr Letters Patent is:

placed said cover members and the sheetsis the wedge being adapted to be secured in their assembled relation to each other along one edge by a loose leaf book binder, and a flexible binding; member et-ltending along the opposite longitudinal; edges of said cover members for hin'ging them together.

lVILLIAM E. ELDRIDGE. 

